Getting to Know the British Columbian Smoker

British Columbia has been known to have some of the lowest smoking rates in Canada and is often celebrated because of its healthy lifestyle. However, there is still room for improvement in this western province! The B.C Lung Association found some inspiring statistics when they surveyed British Columbian smokers. The official report is called Making Quit Happen: Canada’s Challenges to Smoking Cessation.

81% of BC smokers have tried to quit smoking; the average number of attempts was 7

When asked to rate their desire to quit on a scale (1 meaning they did not want to be smoke-free and 10 meaning they definitely did want to be smoke free) the average was 7.2

77% are concerned about the health impacts of smoking

89% believe that quitting is possible

So what’s holding them back? There are the obvious reasons, such as the habits and cravings, but the report also discovered a less apparent cause- one that takes into account the role of the physician.

84% of BC smokers believe that their doctor should help with the quitting process

However, only 38% of British Columbians discussed quitting with their doctors, and less than 20% conversed about cessation with another health care professional, in the past two years

Merely 4% of BC doctors are trained in smoking cessation counselling and only 9% of those physicians are reimbursed for their efforts

The recommendation to fix this issue is to circulate more smoking cessation training to health care professionals, especially in areas with high smoking rates. This report also included other tips that could significantly increase the number of quitters in British Columbia, for example lowering costs of cessation medication and expanding access to cessation programs.

So while BC is leading the pack in many regards, this beautiful province still has the ability to improve tremendously in their smoking related efforts.